H.R. 4764: Puppies Assisting Wounded Servicemembers (PAWS) Act of 2016

114th Congress · introduced 2016-03-16 · Armed Forces and National Security · Latest: Referred to the House Committee on Veterans' Affairs.

federal

Follow this bill, step by step

Where it came from: introduced 2016-03-16 · official record
Who proposed it: Rep. DeSantis, Ron [R-FL-6] · what a sponsor is
What happened next: no floor votes in our records yet. Why?
Where it stands now: Referred to the House Committee on Veterans' Affairs. Not final yet: this can still change. We check for updates every day.
If it becomes law and spends money: follow the money to money laws, then agencies and contracts and grants.

What does this mean?

Official title

Puppies Assisting Wounded Servicemembers (PAWS) Act of 2016

Plain summary

Puppies Assisting Wounded Servicemembers (PAWS) Act of 2016 This bill directs the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), through the Office of Patient Centered Care and Cultural Transformation, to carry out a five-year pilot program under which the VA shall provide service dogs and veterinary health insurance to certain veterans who: (1) served on active duty on or after September 11, 2001; and (2) were diagnosed with, and continue to suffer from, post-traumatic stress disorder. The provision of a service dog shall be done in addition to other types of treatment for post-traumatic stress disorder and shall not replace established treatment modalities.

Congressional Research Service summary (Introduced in House), quoted unchanged (nonpartisan). Read the source.

What a vote does

A “Yea” vote

If it passes both chambers and is signed, it becomes law.

A “Nay” vote

If it is not passed, current law stays as it is.

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What does this mean? (plain words)

Official text

Puppies Assisting Wounded Servicemembers (PAWS) Act of 2016

Source: Congressional Research Service summary (Introduced in House)

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How did my representative vote? · This bill's floor votes

Officials and money

Sponsor: Rep. DeSantis, Ron [R-FL-6] · 126 cosponsors

Cost estimate: No cost estimate published yet.

Cosponsors on this site

Elise M. Stefanik (R-NY), Randy K. Weber, Sr. (R-TX), Henry C. "Hank" Johnson, Jr. (D-GA), Bill Huizenga (R-MI), Scott Perry (R-PA), Ryan K. Zinke (R-MT), Richard Hudson (R-NC), Ruben Gallego (D-AZ), Kevin Cramer (R-ND), Stephen F. Lynch (D-MA), Ken Calvert (R-CA), Brian Babin (R-TX), Jim Jordan (R-OH), Michael T. McCaul (R-TX), David P. Joyce (R-OH), Andy Harris (R-MD), Rick W. Allen (R-GA), Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC) and 66 more.

No linked floor roll calls in our collected records yet. This does not mean the bill has never had a vote. Check the official bill history.

Words on this page, explained (1)

Bill: A proposed law. It becomes law only if it passes the legislature and is signed by the president or governor (or a veto is overridden).

Plain meanings written from linked sources. All words.

Sources

Congressional Research Service summary (Introduced in House)
Congress.gov
Data: GovInfo BILLSTATUS bulk data (Library of Congress), BILLSTATUS-114hr4764.xml <https://www.govinfo.gov/bulkdata/BILLSTATUS/114/hr>

Record fed-us-cong114-hr4764 · catalog fed-us-congress-bills-cong114 · updated 2026-11-15 by psicol fed-bills-cong114